20-01-2014 : : Team Goa-India literally got off to a smashing start at the 3rd Lusofonia Games, both men and women spikers notching a win in their respective matches held today.
The matches featured Goa-India versus Macau and Goa-India versus Mozambique in the women’s and men’s categories respectively. Team Goa-India’s women spikers dispatched their Macanese opponents off in straight sets, with complete dominance over the course of the game.
At the end of Round 1, Goa-India had taken the lead 25-16 (Time: 20 Minutes), which while substantial, did not assert dominance. Round 2, however, was more indicative of their superiority, with a performance that was affirmed by the daunting scoreline: 25-10 (Time: 20 Minutes). The score from Round 2 was repeated in Round 3 (Time: 20 Minutes).
At the end of the game, the Goa-India team Captain, Melinda Pereira, said, “A lot of it came down to the tenacity and hard work displayed the girls. Defensively, we worked very hard, and that was reflected in the scores.”
The Head Coach, R.P Tailor followed up on his star athlete’s point of view, saying, “A lot of the end result came down to effort and determination. The girls can be proud of their efforts on the court, and while we might well be guaranteed a medal, we won’t play with any less heart.”
The Macau squad was represented by their Captain, Lei Sin Kuan, whoadmitted her team was found wanting, saying, “We had an uphill battle right from the start. The team fumbled a bit defensively, and at the end of the day, it cost us dearly. We can but hope that from here on, things will improve.”
The men’s match on the other hand, proved to be a dodgy affair that went down to the wire.
Round 1 saw Team Goa-India take the lead with a score of 25-17 (Time: 17 Minutes). While they won the round, the score line indicates that they could not dominate the same.
Round 2, saw Mozambique press the pedal clawing their way back into the game with a score of 25-21 (Time: 20 Minutes). But come Round 3, and the hosts simply decimated their opponent with a score of 25-10 (Time: 16 Minutes).
Reflecting on the victory, the Captain of the Indian squad Rama Krishna Dhawasker, opined, “The boys gave it their all. Mozambique is an agressive team, but we managed to overcome them.”
Captain of the opposition, Nuvunga Aldevino Enoque Fernando, felt, “The sport is in its nascent stages in Mozambique. Clubs dominate the sporting scene in Mozambique. We have still-growing infrastructure, and as such are still in the process of emerging as a sporting nation in volleyball.”
All in all, a great first day out at the tourney for the home teams.
